Best Travel Insurance for Nomads (Am I Paying Too Much?)
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I’m an absolute maximizer and so when I’m out here trying to have a good time as a lady of leisure, you bet your ass I’m looking to get the best bang for my buck.
As a nomad for the past 4+ years, I’ve written about my research into the best Travel Insurance providers, and so you already know my love for SafetyWing.
Now, as a digital nomad living in Lisbon, finding health insurance that fits my new lifestyle has been challenging. Enter SafetyWing’s new Nomad Insurance plans, which are designed specifically for nomads like me.
This article is all about the best insurance for digital nomads, SafetyWing, and the 2 plans I’ve used in the past, and I recommend you consider. And no, I am not paying too much for the peace of mind I get when it comes to my health and my wallet.
So if you’re looking for borderless healthcare – either as a short-term traveler or a long-term nugget like me – keep reading, it gets good!
The Travel Insurance I Recommend
Let me give you the breakdown and what I recommend and why when it comes to SafetyWing Nomad Insurance.
The SafetyWing Essential plan covers the basics with options for adventure sports and electronics theft – this is the one I used when I first started working with SafetyWing.
The SafetyWing Complete plan offers comprehensive health coverage with routine healthcare, mental health support, and maternity – this is the one I use now that I’m settled more full-time in Portugal. Full disclosure, because I’m a European citizen and resident of Portugal, I also sometimes use the local Medis healthcare as a backup – it’s something that all Portuguese residents are entitled to.
➡️ My personal recommendation for long-term nomads like myself is SafetyWing Nomad Complete. ⬅️
Here’s the difference between the 2 plans, so you can see what’s best for you.
- Can choose fixed dates for short trips
- Average cost for someone like me was about $60 a month.
- Subscription is on a 28-day cycle, max 364 days, after which a new policy will start automatically.
- Covered for short-term visits home
- Emergency medical coverage, medical evac, trip protection
- Add-ons for adventure sports (like high altitude hiking, scuba diving, etc), electronics theft, and US coverage
- Trip protection for delays, interruptions, or lost luggage
- Medical evac and repatriation
- ❌ NOT COVERED: Routine checkups, vision, dental, maternity leave, and extended home country coverage.
- ❌ NOT COVERED: Pre-existing conditions. he plan is not meant ot cover ongoing health conditions.
- Includes all Essential plan benefits, plus routine healthcare, mental health, and maternity.
- Average cost for someone like me is about $165 a month.
- Minimum contract of 12 months, paid monthly or yearly, renewable indefinitely
- No coverage restrictions at home
- Includes cancer screening and treatment
- Includes outpatient services and complementary therapies like chiropractic
- Works for both year long travel or settling in one place
- Includes additional coverage for trip or accommodation cancellation, burglary, and delayed luggage
- Add-ons for dental coverage and electronics theft.
- ❌ NOT COVERED: Pre-existing conditions from before the plan starts. Any new conditions or issues that arise once you already covered will continue to be covered as long as the plan is renewed.
Why is Travel Insurance Important?
It’s a financial safety net while you’re out and about exploring the world.
You don’t want to have the shits after a fantastic dinner in Greece and have to:
- Navigate a foreign hospital system
- Translate your medical condition into a foreign language
- Figure out how the hell to pay foreign medical expenses
- Get access to a Western-trained doctor
As for what’s in it for you? In my opinion, it’s cost savings.
Getting robbed, sick, injured, or delayed while traveling happens – it just does. All of these things have happened to me.
This is where your travel insurance will hook it up with reimbursements. Here are a few Common Travel Insurance Questions answered by me, with a few anecdotes to keep you entertained (or give you anxiety).
In general, travel insurance helps cover your ass when you go into the unknown and have an oopsy!
What Travel Insurance Do I Need?
If you’re going on a short-term vacation, I recommend the SafetyWing Essential Plan.
If you’re going full-time nomad for a year or longer, like me, the SafetyWing Complete Plan is your best bet.
Here’s the difference between the 2 plans, so you can see what’s best for you.
- Can choose fixed dates for short trips
- Average cost for someone like me was about $60 a month.
- Subscription is on a 28-day cycle, max 364 days, after which a new policy will start automatically.
- Covered for short-term visits home
- Emergency medical coverage, medical evac, trip protection
- Add-ons for adventure sports (like high altitude hiking, scuba diving, etc), electronics theft, and US coverage
- Trip protection for delays, interruptions, or lost luggage
- Medical evac and repatriation
- ❌ NOT COVERED: Routine checkups, vision, dental, maternity leave, and extended home country coverage.
- ❌ NOT COVERED: Pre-existing conditions. he plan is not meant ot cover ongoing health conditions.
- Includes all Essential plan benefits, plus routine healthcare, mental health, and maternity.
- Average cost for someone like me is about $165 a month.
- Minimum contract of 12 months, paid monthly or yearly, renewable indefinitely
- No coverage restrictions at home
- Includes cancer screening and treatment
- Includes outpatient services and complementary therapies like chiropractic
- Works for both year long travel or settling in one place
- Includes additional coverage for trip or accommodation cancellation, burglary, and delayed luggage
- Add-ons for dental coverage and electronics theft.
- ❌ NOT COVERED: Pre-existing conditions from before the plan starts. Any new conditions or issues that arise once you already covered will continue to be covered as long as the plan is renewed.
What does travel insurance cover?
My favorite travel insurance company, SafetyWing is way more comprehensive with what they cover, and their monthly or yearly plans are way more affordable than the travel credit card membership fees (which I pay anyway for other perks) and way more affordable than any other insurance company I’ve researched so far.
Here’s the gist of what they cover for the SafetyWing Essential Plan as an example:
- $250,000 USD in emergency medical coverage
- $1,000 USD for emergency dental care
- $100,000 USD for medical evacuation
- $10,000 USD for an evacuation due to political upheaval
- $5,000 USD for a trip interruption
- $200 USD for a travel delay
- $12,500–25,000 USD for death or dismemberment
How much does travel insurance cost?
Let’s talk money. There are a few factors that will affect the price you pay, including the length of your trip, your age, and pre-existing medical conditions.
I’m in my late-30s now, pretty healthy, and I frequently engage in what insurance companies deem as extreme sports (skydiving, high altitude hiking, via feratas, underwater fun, and a few other adventurous things). When I used the SafetyWing Essential plan, I was at about $60 a month. Now that I’m a full time nomad living in Lisbon, and I want to full routine medical coverage, I use the SafetyWing Complete plan, and it cost about $165 a month.
Remember, taking out the cheapest policy isn’t always the best idea – it may leave you underinsured and unable to claim when you need to.
I think it’s best to cover your ass and take out travel insurance that offers comprehensive coverage for everything you’ll need on your trip abroad.
Conclusion: Best Travel Insurance for Nomads
All in all, I love and use SafetyWing Nomad Insurance.
SafetyWing’s mission is to provide affordable, flexible, borderless insurance, and their new Essential and Complete plans live up to this mission.
Essential covers the basics like emergency medical, while Complete brings full-scale healthcare, both with travel coverage.
Whether you’re exploring short-term or setting up long-term abroad, there’s a plan built for you. A must-have for any traveler or nomad!
